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In my home county of Suffolk, which has the highest concentration of veterans in New York State, hundreds of Vietnam veterans and their families will now be able to receive the benefits they have earned. These brave service members have put their lives on the line for our great nation, and they have earned nothing less than the highest quality care.

Lake Montauk is a critical waterway for our local fishing and recreational boating industries and the Long Islanders whose livelihoods rely on our coastal economy. Ensuring the proper maintenance of this important harbor is critical to supporting our community’s vibrant maritime economy and preserving the rich heritage on which it was built.

Following a very productive meeting earlier this afternoon with President Trump and House colleagues at the White House to discuss the family separation issue and other important immigration policies, I welcome this afternoon’s Executive Order as a positive step in the right direction. It’s not good policy to separate children at our border from their parents and release them into the United States as UACs. It’s also not good policy to immediately release families who enter our country illegally into our communities. I further believe that it would be wrong to detain the children in cages just like the Obama Administration did. This is an issue that has transcended Administrations. The Flores decision will either need to be reconsidered in the courts or Congress will need to pass legislation to change federal law. I support whichever option can be done swiftly and correctly so that families are detained together at the border. In the meantime, my advice for anyone who doesn’t want to be detained for entering into the United States illegally is to not enter the United States illegally.